Recipe: Scallion Kimchi

When we fell for kimchi, we fell hard. It worked its way into every meal of the day and was eaten straight out of the jar, refrigerator door open, contemplating what we had on hand for dinner. And while we always heard that there are as many kimchi recipes as there are cooks, it was the weekly farm stand offerings from Kimchee Harvest in the Catskills that truly got us addicted to kimchi.

While the classic kimchi base is cabbage and radish, in the spring you can find scallion kimchi, or pa-kimchi, for a fresh seasonal update. We skip the delicate process of bundling and tying the scallions together and instead opt for shorter length cuts for easy snacking or stir-frying.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Remove and discard any outer damaged or wilted leaves from the scallions. Trim the tops and bottoms and cut into 2-inch segments. In a large bowl toss with salt until coated and let sit while you prepare the kimchi paste.

Combine garlic, ginger and sugar in a mortar or mixing bowl and mash together. Add in gochugaru and fish sauce and continue to blend until a paste forms.

Add kimchi paste to scallions and using your hands mix until evenly coated. The gochugaru will quickly turn your hands a bright red so kitchen gloves are handy.

Pack scallions into fermentation jar and then add the fermentation weight. You want the packed scallions to be completely submerged when weighted. If liquid levels are low you can top with a brine by dissolving 1 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water.

Top with lid and airlock (Need help? Check out our How to Assemble Airlock Video). Let ferment for 3-5 days at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Transfer finished kimchi to jars and move to the refrigerator. Kimchi will keep refrigerated for at least 2 months.

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